Curtain fixture



Jan. 31, 1933. J. M. BARRETT CURTAIN FIXTURE Filed Sept. 3, 1931 m km Patented Jan. 31, 1933 untrea- STATES aosnrn M. BARRETT, or CLEVELAND; onro CURTAIN FIXTURE Application filed September 'This invention relates to supports for ourtains or draperies, its object being to provide a device of this kind that holds the draperies vertical and without sagging, and with the supporting rod concealed, allwithout pen manent or semi-permanent attachment of any part of the support to the curtain or drapery; and which support provides for very convenient attachment to the drapery and for 19 its adj ustment for height, and is of very simple construction and can be made and sold at low cost.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing a drapery or curtain supporting device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 38, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 and showing a modified form of the invention; and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing still another modification.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 8 of the drawing,

I have shown one embodiment of my invention used in combination with a bar or supporting rod 1 disposed across a wall opening or a window adjacent the top thereof. As shown, the device consists of a single strand of material, in this instance wire, bent to form substantially a square or rectangular holding portion or eye 2 and a rod engaging loop 3, the loop being disposed within the area of the holding portion 2 and being adapted to embrace the rod 1 with a relatively close fit in order to prevent the device from assuming an askew position on the rod 1.

One side of the holding portion 2 is formed of parallel overlapping jaw parts of the wire,

as shown at 4, these jaws being serrated at 5 along their opposed faces for engaging a fold a of the drapery or curtain A. supported thereby. The-free end 6 of onejaw is bent outwardly in blunt form to prevent catching of the drapery or curtain thereon and to also form an open guide to facilitate insertion of the drapery into position between the-jaws.

Generally speaking, the eye or holding portion of the wire is larger than the loop 3 and the rod which it embraces, so that some if not-all, of the parts of the holding portion are D spaced away from the rod not only to enable 3, 1931. Serial'No. 560,976.

them to be easily grasped in manipulating the parts, but also to serve as convenient means for attachment of traverse cords if the curtain or. drapery is to-be manipulated by such cords. These cords may be attached to any part of the device but a convenient point of attachment is indicated at 15 in In this device parts of the wire aremade toserve as levers or handles by means of which the jaws 4c, l'may be opened'for in sertion of the draper material therebetween, A convenient way ofaccomplishing this result is to so bend the wire as to introduce a fulcrum between the parallel upper parts of the holding portion 2. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, the loop 3 is more or less spiral in form, a portion '16 thereof, near its free end, being brought into the central or median plane of the device so that it lies between the parallel upper lever parts 17, 18- of-the. holdfng portion 2, whereby the j aws'may be separated by pressing onev side of the holding portion 2 and the loop 3 towardeach other, said jaws normally being pressed firmly towards each other by the inherent resiliency of the wire. As a consequence, with the hold ing device assembled on the rod, as shown in F :ig. 1, the jaws may be separated with the fingers and a fold a of the curtain or drapery may he slid into the open ends of the jaws at the bend'6 until the parts assume the p'osie tion shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Moreover, if at any point where the curtain is connected to one of these supports, it is found to-be out of proper position as to height from thefloor, it is a very simple matter to adjust the curtain to proper height by pinching the metalparts to open the jaws and sliding the curtain up and down to proper position. i a

The parts are also preferably so arranged as to prevent rotation of the support around the rod on whichit is carried in a plane trans-f verse to the length of the rod, the purpose being to maintain the jaws 4 and theficurtain or drapery held-thereby in. vertical position, without liability to sag. This maybe ac complished in various ways, for example, in Fig. 1 the rod 1 is cylindrical andis provided with a longitudinal groove 8 adapted to receive a tongue 7 bent downwardly at the free end of the loop 3 just beyond its fulcrum portion 16.

In Fig. 4 the same result is accomplished in connection with a drawn sheet metal rod 9 of common form by bending a depending portion 7a of the loop 3a into hook form embracing a flange 11 of the rod 9.

In Fig. 5 the same result is accomplished by making the rod 12 of non-circular cross section, such as roughly elliptical, and shaping a portion of the loop 3?) to correspond with the cross section of the rod, by bending its tongue 7?) downwardly along the flat face of the rod.

In all cases the supporting device embodies a loop portion for engaging the rod and so interlocked therewith as to prevent rotation around the rod in a transverse plane, and a holding'portion including jaws on lever membersworking about a fulcrum formed by an inserted portion of the loop. The jaws are held truly vertical and are not likely to sag, so that the curtain is always held in vertical position. No part of the supporting device is attached to the curtain by sewing or otherwise. Therefore, attachment of the draperies to the supports is a simple task doing away with sewing, and the drapes or curtains may be washed 0r cleaned without being torn by attached parts, as is the case when hooks are attached'to the curtain and threaded through rings on the rod.

Again, any number of these supports may belthreaded on the rod, their attachment to the curtain being at any number of points spaced as closely or as widely apart asdesired, and if one or more of the supports is .76. lost the curtain can nevertheless be supported 4 by those remaining by a new distribution along its width.

Further advantage will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I What I claim is: I

1. Adrapery supporting device comprising, in combination, a supporting rod, and a member adapted to interfit with said rod, cooperating means on said rod and said memher for preventing relative rotative'movement therebetween, and spring-pressed jaws on said member at the level of said rod and adapted to engage and support a portion of a drapery in front of'sa-id rod to thereby conceal the rod.

having a portion lying between said parallel I 1 parts of the wire to form a fulcrum around which the wire parts may be turned to open said jaws.

3. A drapery supporting device, compris wiregripping parts horizontally opposite the rod, and horizontal wire lever parts extending side by side from said jaws to the opposite side of the rod,'the wire including a portion extending between said lever parts and forming a fulcrum about which theymay be turned to actuate said jaws.

- 5. Drapery supporting means, comprising a rod of non-circular cross section, and a co operating drapery holding member therefor made of wire bent to form'a loop portion of non-circular form to embrace and interfit with the rod, an eye portion also embracing said .rod and including vertically extending parallel jaw members horizontally opposite the rod and on one side thereof, the horizontally extending lever portions of the eye and loop being connected respectively to said jaws V and lying side by side, and said loop having a portion lying between said lever portions and forming a fulcrum about which they may be turned to actuate said jaws.

6. Drapery supporting means, comprising a rod of non-circular cross section, and a co operating drapery holding member therefor made of wire bent to form a loop portion of non-circular form to embrace and interfit with the rod, an eye portion also embracing said rod and including vertically extending parallel jaw members horizontally opposite the rod and on one side thereof, the horizontally extending lever portions of the eye and loop being connected respectively to said jaws and lying side by side, and said loop having a portion lying between said lever portions and forming a fulcrum about which'they may be turned to actuate said aws, and the eye and loop wire being so formed that said jaws are pressed toward each other by the inherent resiliency of the wire, and the eye and loop portions 011 that side of the rod away from said jaws form ng finger grips for manipulating said jaws. I

In testimony whereof I hereby aflix my signature. 7

JOSEPH M. BARRETT. 

